


A Study of Form

by FrozenSnares



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Ice Skating, Minor Swearing, Rickeen Shipweek, Sports, Studying, growing relationship, ice hockey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 16:56:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8169175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenSnares/pseuds/FrozenSnares
Summary: Studying has always been the hardest thing for Rickon. He finally finds he can only study in his most comfortable environment. His space is interrupted one day, and Rickon finds the distraction helpful in more ways than one.Written for Day 6 of Rickeen Shipweek—Prompt: Fluff





	

**Author's Note:**

> [Picset](http://frozensnares.tumblr.com/post/151145043586/a-study-of-form-studying-has-always-been-the)

The skating rink was empty only a few times a week. It was usually packed with all the sports teams practicing, and occasionally with students there purely for the enjoyment. Around winter sports season and during practices, there was always going to be a crowd. The only time it was nearly empty was when one person sat in the furthest row back, scribbling down at a notebook.

Rickon slumped down in his seat, taking in a deep breath and letting the cold air fill his system. He liked being cold, and the quiet was good for him. With his position on the hockey team, he had to get his grades up. Rickon hadn’t gotten along with his last assigned tutor, so they were searching for another one while he was suffering through fifteen units. He sighed, digging through his backpack and trying to find the right book. He tossed it on the seat next to him before going back to get a pencil and his notebook.

In the distance, a door shut, and Rickon suspected that someone was leaving very late. However, footsteps got closer, and someone entered on the opposite side of the room. Glancing up, Rickon watched as a girl went straight up to the ice. She regarded it for a moment before turning back and taking a seat on the bench. She put on a pair of skates and went out on the ice. She never noticed him, and Rickon thought about leaving. Then, her blades hit the ice, and the sound of long, smooth passes immediately relaxed Rickon. He expected her to look up, to notice him and have some sort of reaction to being watched, but it never came. The sounds were relaxing enough for studying, so he slumped down further, just listening to the rhythm of skating.

Then, he looked up to really watch her. She was obviously a figure skater. From what he knew of the sport, her form looked nearly perfect, and she was entirely at ease on the ice. When she landed a particularly difficult jump, Rickon nodded in approval before returning to his work. If she wanted to practice while he studied, he didn’t have a problem with that. After all, the rhythm was helping his focus and she didn’t seem to mind.

\--

Rickon thought that there might be some sort of break in the monotony of his weekday afternoons. However, every day felt exactly the same as the last. He went to class. He ate. He went to the rink. He studied. The girl showed up. She left. He went to practice. Nothing out of place—each day was simply a mirror of the last. This went on for two weeks.

As much studying as Rickon got done, he also took plenty of breaks to watch her skate across the ice. She was incredible, and it was almost hypnotic watching her. He didn’t want to pretend that he was spying on her practice, but it was more conductive to his studying. His grades went up, so he wasn’t too keen on stopping anytime soon.

One day, after Rickon had just finished a test, he went to the rink as usual. He was, by no means, going to study today. He had done enough, and he was going to take a break—maybe a nap. Still, the girl came as she usually did, getting onto the ice and ignoring him. She must be ignoring him. After two weeks, she had to have noticed he was also in there. She gave no signal that she did, though, so Rickon watched her routine.

It was getting better every day, there were only a few parts that seems like they needed improvement. Rickon noticed the slightly off beat in her skating, seeing her mess with her hand about her waist before picking up the routine again. On her third run, it clicked. Her routine was off because she was missing her partner. It was supposed to be a lift. Walking down slowly, Rickon went all the way to the edge of the rink. He leaned against the wall, determined to learn something about this girl.

“Is that supposed to be lift?” he asked.

She turned around quickly, sending her long black hair flying about her face. “Who are you?”

“I’m on the hockey team,” Rickon said. “Is your partner missing?”

“No,” she said quickly, skating over to the far exit.

“But it is supposed to be a lift, right?” he called.

She took her skates off quickly, shooting him a glare before making for the exit.

Rickon was flabbergasted. After all the time he spent in the same room as her, he was sure she at least knew he was there. She seemed massively uninterested in anything to do with him, though. She didn’t even skate closer to tell him off for spying on her. Surely, one of those things was going to happen. And yet...

By no means was Rickon going to approach her again. This was mostly because he thought she wouldn’t come back. She did, though, skating onto the ice slowly and shooting looks all around the room. Her eyes stopped on him, and Rickon suspected she was mad at him for coming back. He wasn’t going to be pushed out of his studying space, so he waved at her, sticking his nose back into his book.

After a minute, she started skating again, but the looks were still coming. Rickon tried not to watch her, but he was more than a little interested in seeing what her routine was supposed to look like. As she finished up, she skated a lap around the rink. Her hands were on her hips, and Rickon could tell she was frustrated when she stopped and dug a hole into the ice with her toe pick. Before she left the rink, she did a part of her routine again, and skidded to a halt halfway through.

Rickon knew it was because she couldn’t plan for her lift. “When’s your partner going to come help?” he asked her.

She didn’t even bother to face him. She just went to the exit and took off her skates. “I don’t have a partner,” she called back, zipping up her bag with more force than necessary and swinging her bag over her shoulder. Walking quickly, she left the rink.

Rickon stared after her, wondering why she would keep practicing a routine she needed a partner for when she didn’t have one. He had no real business prying, but she was there so often, it made more sense for him to figure it out. He waited a few days, trying to learn her routine at least a little bit before he finally put on his skates early. Sitting closer to the rink, Rickon waited for her arrival, watching her quick glance at him before she took to the ice.

Now, she seemed to be ignoring him. She didn’t skate any closer than she absolutely had to, even though Rickon knew that she often used this part of the ice. It took a long while for her to finally come closer, and Rickon immediately saw why she was keeping her distance. There was a massive, jagged bunch of rough skin over the side of her face. It looked _hard_ and Rickon’s curiosity spiked. When she was moving about, he couldn’t see her face that well, but he wanted another look. She gradually moved closer, watching his reaction carefully. Rickon kept his expression neutral, just watching her skate.

She slowed down on the far end of the rink before moving into her routine again. Rickon sat forward, leaning onto his knees as she went on. She kept shooting glances at him whenever she was near, but continued her routine as well as before. When she got to the lift, she just skated past it, letting out a small sound of frustration. Rickon watched her for a minute longer. He had already made up his mind about today, though, so he stood up and approached the rink. Stepping onto the ice silently, Rickon waited for her to turn around. When she did, she slowed to a halt, just watching him.

“I can probably lift you,” Rickon offered. “If you want to try.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, gliding closer. “It’s more than just lifting,” she said, putting her hands on her hips and looking down at his feet. “There’s the whole routine, and you don’t look like you have the skates for it.”

Rickon shrugged, moving closer. “Worth a try, right?” he asked. “Aren’t you practicing for something?”

She stared at him for a long moment. After a while, she beckoned him closer. Then, she poised herself for the start. “Try to keep up.”

Without any warning, she took off and Rickon hastily tried to keep up with her. Only because he had been watching her for so long was he able to keep up in the slightest. He skirted around her jumps, moving back into place beside her so he could lift her from the ice at the right time. She reached for her waist at the same time he did, her hands over his as he lifted her up in the air. After a moment, she relaxed and Rickon set her back down, gliding back to continue on, but she stopped.

“Um… let’s go over that again,” she said, skating back over. Waving him over, she took one of his hands and placed it on her hip. “The idea is to be close. You should be able to touch me the entire time.”

Rickon nodded, sliding even closer to her. His heart sped up, and she looked over her shoulder at him, putting her ruined cheek on full display. Rickon stared at her profile, following the line of it with his eyes.

She cleared her throat gently. “We’ll, um, we’ll go slow,” she said. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” Rickon mumbled. He followed her about this time, listening to her instructions as they went around. It went much better this time around, and she kept advising him to come as close as possible to her. He lifted her again, and she leaned back fully. Her hair ended up behind him as she arched farther and he placed her back on the ice again. She slid to a stop yet again, apparently lost in thought. Rickon couldn’t stop staring, just one question jumping out in his mind. “Who are you?”

She smiled at him. “Not on the hockey team,” she replied cheekily.

Rickon cleared his throat poorly. “Rickon,” he said, realizing that he hadn’t even given her his name the other day. “Nice to meet you.”

“Shireen,” she said. She bit her lip, gliding closer to him. “So… do you _want_ to be my partner?”

Staring down at her, Rickon got caught up in her eyes. They were incredibly dark blue, and there was something challenging about her eyes. Smirking, Rickon couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming desire to fulfill this particular one. “Sure.”

“You’ll need new skates,” she said, circling him slowly. “And some practice…”

“What are we practicing for?” Rickon asked.

Her face flushed, and she slowly moved backwards. “Well, I wanted to try out for the team,” she said. “Since, you know, I can…”

“You don’t need to try out for having a partner,” he said.

“It’s the only one I want to do, though,” she said. “And it wouldn’t be _your_ try out.”

“Okay, then,” Rickon said, partially wondering why he was agreeing to this.

Shireen smiled, and Rickon thought he might know why. She moved about in front of him before skating backwards to the exit. “Same time tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Rickon said, watching her go.

\--

Now, Rickon was at the rink even earlier every day. He tried to cram in as much studying as possible before Shireen showed up and beckoned him onto the ice. Shoving his feet into his recently-purchased skates, Rickon didn’t let an ounce of his studying issue interfere with practicing with Shireen. He simply followed her about the ice, learning to move about like a figure skater. However, after a few weeks of practice with both Shireen and the hockey team, _and_ having to find even more time to study, Rickon started feeling the wear.

Shireen caught him rubbing at his face one day, trying to keep himself awake. She moved up right in front of him, staring up at his face. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Do you want to take a break?”

“No, it’s fine,” Rickon said. “I have practice after this anyway, and I have to stay up to study because I have a test tomorrow… But we’re good. Let’s keep going.”

He tried to push past her into their starting place, but Shireen stopped him with a hand flat on his chest. “A test in what?” she asked, nudging him over to where his things were. They were on the opposite end of the rink from hers, and Shireen gestured for him to return to the seat. “Let’s take a break.”

“Uh, it’s, um… biology,” he said, pulling out his book.

“Cool,” Shireen said, pulling off her skates. “Annoying Krebs cycle stuff?”

“How did you know?” Rickon asked, flipping to his syllabus.

Shireen shrugged. “I did the entire science track,” she said, offhandedly. “I’m a physics major. Let me see your syllabus. I can help.”

Rickon stared at her incredulously before handing over his syllabus. Without waiting for his permission, Shireen took his book, leaning back in the seat beside him and quizzing him on the information. She paused occasionally, explaining things to him and making him repeat the information back at her. They spent a long time like this, eventually walking over to where her things were with her still asking him questions. She packed up while still testing him, and Rickon picked up her bag for her as she put on normal shoes.

“So… are you still staying up late to study?” she asked, taking her bag from him.

“I really need to pass this test,” Rickon said by way of explanation.

Shireen nodded before digging out her phone. She handed it to him. “Your number,” she said, making him shift his attention back to his phone. “I can meet you after your practice.”

“For real?” Rickon asked, handing her back her phone.

“Mhmm,” she hummed out, typing up a text message. “We don’t exactly want you to fail, do we?”

“Thanks,” Rickon mumbled out. “I’ll, um, I’ll call you.”

\--

Shireen returned with food. She deposited it on the bench next to him before swinging her legs over it. Rickon waited for her to hand him something before taking it, hungry as he was. Then, he dug in as she relentlessly questioned him on everything that would be on his test. They stopped more often so Rickon could write things down, and Shireen patiently explained everything he didn’t understand. Rickon curled up around the bench, scribbling things out in his notebook as Shireen recited information to him.

When it was getting late and Rickon was still pulling at his hair, Shireen made him pack up. Rickon protested, which only led to Shireen stealing his things and putting them away for him. She led the way back to the dorms with him trailing after her, occasionally asking him something that would be on this test. Rickon begrudgingly answered, stopping outside his dorm. 

“Now,” she said slowly. “You’re going to throw this bag someplace and ignore it until tomorrow _after_ your test, okay?”

“Shireen, I really need to pass this test,” Rickon said, reaching for his bag.

Shireen moved the bag further away, leveling a glare at him. “And you will,” she said. “But not if you don’t sleep, right?”

“Yeah,” Rickon relented. He slumped down, running his hands over his face. “You’re right. I get it.”

“Good,” Shireen said, holding his bag forward. “Go get some sleep.”

Nodding, Rickon took his bag back, fumbling a bit with her fingers as he extracted it from her grip. She walked away with a wave, and Rickon waved back before trudging up to his room. On the way, he was stopped by some of his teammates, being shoved about playfully.

“Got a girlfriend, Stark?” Wex called.

Rickon shook his head, mostly from exhaustion. “No, she was just helping me study,” Rickon said. “Test tomorrow.”

He kept walking off before he could be pestered further, needing to sleep more than he had in the past few weeks.

The next day, Rickon stopped on his way to the rink, buying a few pastries before heading over. He wrote out a sloppy note to Shireen, thanking her for the help before going to release some tension on the ice. Spinning circles around and getting his limbs loose, Rickon raced around the ice, almost tripping with the toe pick on his boot. Giggles met this, and Rickon spun around to see Shireen skating onto the ice behind him. She licked her fingers, moving until she was right in front of him.

“Thanks for the donuts,” she said, licking her lips.

Rickon wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off the ice and into a hug. “No, thank _you_ ,” he mumbled out. “I would have failed completely without you.”

“Passed, then?” Shireen asked, resting her hands on his shoulders to keep herself up.

“I think so,” Rickon replied, gingerly placing her back on the ice. “Should we start practicing?”

“Actually,” Shireen started slowly, backing away. “I wanted to try a new lift…”

“Alright then,” Rickon said. “Is it way harder?”

“Depends… How far do you think you can throw me?” Shireen asked back.

They practiced at it for the next hour, Rickon holding Shireen against him before tossing her off as far as possible. It was difficult work, but Shireen walked Rickon through it slowly, adding it into the routine and transitioning into it. Surprisingly, Rickon was much better when he was moving, swinging Shireen in his arms before throwing her back through the air.

Shireen stumbled on her landing, wobbling slightly on one foot. She slid up to Rickon slowly. “I need more air,” she said. “Can you get me up higher?”

Rickon sighed, trying to catch his breath. “Uh… maybe?”

“Try catching me by my hips,” Shireen suggested. “Here.”

She went forward to grab his hands, sliding them very low on her hips. With how much bigger Rickon’s hands were, he felt his face flush as his fingers wrapped around much softer flesh. Shireen paid it no mind, pressing his hands harder into the flared bone of her hips.

“Push here,” she told him. “But you have to catch me there, too.”

“Yeah, okay,” Rickon murmured, trying to drop his hands. But he did it slowly, dragging his fingers far too close to her thighs. He scooted away. “Let’s try again?”

Shireen stared up into his eyes, nodding before resetting their position.

\--

After that, Shireen kept challenging Rickon. She implemented mandatory study sessions, helping Rickon out in all his classes, and she asked him to skate at her side as close of possible, holding his hand on her shoulder. Rickon tried to think nothing of it. He tried to pretend that having this much physical contact with an attractive girl didn’t affect him at all. However, it wasn’t long until thoughts of Shireen were chasing him to bed every night, begging for his attention and making him far too invested in his short practices with her.

Shireen seemed perfectly normal the entire time, remaining ever the strict teacher with him. She led him through practices with the same temperament as before, only she seemed more understanding of his shortcomings, helping him through each aspect of her routine.

Arriving at practice, Rickon tossed his things down where she usually settled, hiding a stash of food that he brought. When Shireen came, Rickon wasn’t even on the ice, and she looked confused. Before she could speak, Rickon stepped forward with his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, um, can we skip practice today?” he asked.

“Do you have another test?” Shireen asked, dropping her bag.

Rickon winced, hoping that he wasn’t jumping too far with how much time they spent together. “No, um,” Rickon searched about for the right words. “I wanted to ask you something. I, uh, I brought food.”

Shireen nodded, taking a seat. “You brought food to ask me a question,” she repeated, still nodding. “Okay, then. What is it?”

Pulling out the food, Rickon placed it in front of her, naming everything as she grew more and more amused. When he finished, Shireen just laughed.

“Well, I _was_ asking about your question,” she said, grabbing at one of the sandwiches he brought and taking a bite. “But since you’re so intent on eating…”

Rickon blushed, staring down at his hands. “Um, I don’t think I can keep practicing with you,” he said. “It’s—”

“Why not?” Shireen demanded, putting down the food. She looked furious, leaning forward and looking down at him. “You can’t just bail on me. I only have this one chance. I can’t just stop.”

Rickon opened his mouth, but Shireen stood up angrily. She stomped up the stairs before returning for her bag.

“You know what?” she shot out. “Screw you, Rickon Stark. I thought I could trust you.” She tossed her bag onto her shoulder with so much force Rickon could hear the clanging of her skates in it. Pulling out her hair from the strap, Shireen started back up the stairs.

“Shireen!” Rickon called, hastily getting to his feet. He shoved a hand into his backpack, grasping onto a pile of fabric and waiting for her to turn around.

She turned back sharply, shooting out a harsh, “What?”

He threw the fabric at her, shocking her slightly. His expression was entirely neutral, and he watched her sort through the fabric until she shook out his hockey jersey, looking even more confused. Rickon waited for her to look up again. Then, he said, “I wanted to ask you to date me.”

“What?” Shireen repeated, still looking confused.

“I want you to be my girlfriend,” Rickon said, hoping that that wouldn’t need further clarification. It was hard enough for him just to get to this point.

Shireen’s expression softened slightly, and she held up his jersey in a fist. “Then, what’s this?”

Rickon shrugged. “My jersey,” he said. “We have a game tomorrow, and I hoped you might want to… you know… wear it. Most guys get their significant others to on game days, and I just thought…”

“What?” Shireen asked again. Her voice was gentler now, though. She took a few steps down, locking eyes with him. “You thought asking me to spend less time with you was a good idea?”

Letting out an incoherent sound, Rickon tried to reorganize his thoughts. “I thought you weren’t supposed to date people you worked with,” Rickon mumbled out. “And I thought it might be better if…”

“If what?” Shireen asked, continuing down until she was just a step above him. “If I had to find someone else to practice with? If I needed another person to be within an arm’s reach of me?” She reached for his hands placing them over her hips. “Do you think it’s better if I teach someone else how to hold my hips like this?”

Rickon’s breath was coming short, and he stopped himself from leaning closer to her. The bubble of jealousy was building up in him, and he gripped at her hips more possessively than he intended. “No,” he said. “I don’t want anyone else to touch you.”

Shireen let her bag drop. She placed both of her hands on his chest before digging her nails in just slightly. “Then, get on the ice,” she told him. “And we’ll see if I’ll wear your jersey tomorrow.”

They didn’t end up practicing much, especially since Rickon wouldn’t stop smiling and making Shireen stumble every time she looked at him. Even her sharp commands to take it seriously wouldn’t stop him, and Rickon kept extending their lifts just to keep her in his arms. Shireen rolled her eyes, but she didn’t ask him to put her down. Rickon eventually took them off the ice while carrying her, putting her down by their things.

“So?” he asked. “Date me?”

“If we do,” Shireen started slowly, raising a finger at him. “We still practice, and _seriously_ , okay?”

“And you’ll wear my jersey?” Rickon asked, leaning into her and reaching for her hands.

Shireen raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you want me to be seen in your jersey?” she asked. “Like, I can date you without it and no one needs to know.”

Rickon looked confused, grasping onto her hands. “But I want people to know,” he told her. “That’s the whole point.”

“Even with my messed up face?” Shireen asked, stepping closer to him.

“I happen to like your face,” Rickon said. He leaned forward quickly and kissed her cheek. “So…?”

“I’ll wear your jersey,” Shireen said, a small smile on her face. “But practice. Monday. For real.”

\--

Shireen did wear Rickon’s jersey the next day, and she went to watch the game, little as she knew about hockey. Rickon shot grins at her the entire time, playing through his game normally, even with his teammates trying to goad him about who his girlfriend was. At the end of the game, they saw her and tried to mess with him about it. However, Rickon ignored them entirely. He put an arm around Shireen’s shoulders and took her out to dinner that night. 

The whole time, Shireen tried to pretend that she didn’t care one way or the other. Her constant smile contradicted her, though, and she didn’t stop staring at Rickon the whole time. On their way back to the dorms, Shireen wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him close.

“So your team hates me,” she said, thinking that it was better off out in the open.

“Well, it’s a good thing you aren’t dating them,” Rickon said. “I, on the other hand, really like you.”

Shireen huffed. “Is that why you wanted to practice with me?”

Rickon considered her question for a moment. “I was mostly just wondering when your partner was going to show up,” he told her, “because I really wanted to see your routine.”

“He left,” Shireen said briefly, staring straight ahead.

“Why?” Rickon asked before he could stop himself.

Shireen shook her head. “I think his exact words were _’if I have to look at your ugly face for another second, I’ll kill myself.’_ So it wasn’t exactly going to work out.”

“What the actual fuck?” Rickon asked back, thoroughly peeved at what Shireen had to put up with.

“Well, he’s not too far off, I guess,” Shireen mumbled, leaning into his side.

Rickon paused, looking over to Shireen. “What do you mean?”

Shireen hesitated, keeping her eyes down. “I mean… this is _nice_ , but even you’re not going to try to kiss me.”

Stopping fully, Rickon stared at Shireen in disbelief. She just shrugged, giving him a small look. Shaking his head roughly, Rickon placed his hands under her jaw, bringing her close and kissing her full on the mouth. Shireen let out a small shriek of protest, stepping away.

“What are you doing?” she asked sharply, hitting him away.

“Kissing you,” Rickon said simply. He reached for her again, but Shireen moved out of his grasp.

“Why?” she asked, looking slightly offended.

Rickon looked confused, stepping toward her. “Because I _want_ to.”

“No, you don’t,” she said, shaking her head and moving away again. “No one _wants_ to.”

“You’re insulting me,” Rickon told her. He grabbed her waist, pulling her flush against him before picking her up completely. He forced her legs around his waist, staring up into her eyes. “Now, I could give you a very long list of things I want to do with you, but let’s keep it at kissing for now.”

“Is there more?” Shireen asked, grabbing onto his face and staring down at his lips.

Rickon groaned, stretching up to meet her. “Just kiss me already.”

And she did. Shireen kissed him slowly and deeply, moving her lips over his. She squeezed her legs around him, digging her hands into his hair. Opening her mouth more, Shireen forced them closer, and Rickon flicked his tongue into her mouth, nearly dropping her when he could taste her. Shireen clutched to his shoulders, keeping herself up as his hands slid up her back. His jersey dragged up with his hand, letting his fingers hit her bare skin. He readjusted his grip, putting his hand flat on her back as she kissed him with even more intensity.

Finally, Rickon put her back on the floor, kissing her deeper and getting both of his hands under her shirt. That alerted Shireen back to the present, and she gently pushed him away. She didn’t stop kissing him, but she grabbed his wrists to pull his hands away.

“Rickon,” she mumbled against his mouth. “Rickon, we’re in public.”

“Then, can we get some place where I can take off your clothes?” he asked back, breathing deeply.

“Rickon!” Shireen scolded, stepping away.

Rickon smirked, leaning back to kiss her. “It’s just what I want, Shireen,” he told her. “I want you.”

“We’ve been dating for a day,” Shireen reminded him. “Just over twenty-four hours. It’s going to take a lot more than that for you to get my clothes off.”

Sighing, Rickon grabbed her hands and kissed them. “Fine,” he said. Then, he kissed her again. “I’ll just wait.”

“Oh, how hard,” Shireen said, leaning against him chest in a mock-swoon. “It’s going to be so difficult.”

Rickon chuckled, pulling her closer and continuing on back to the dorms. “Honey, you don’t know how I’ve been falling asleep every night.”

Shireen smacked his chest, taking a step away. “Rickon!”

He clucked at her, dragging her back. “You’re the one that didn’t believe I wanted you,” he said. “And I’m very capable of proving that.”

“Prove it with some good practices,” Shireen shot back. “And a stellar try out.”

\--

Somehow, they managed to get in good practices during the next few weeks. Even with Shireen’s insistence that they take breaks to study, they kept at what they were doing the entire time. Rickon distracted them plenty by trying to kiss her whenever possible. Whenever Shireen pointed out that it wasn’t productive, Rickon replied by saying it was why he wanted to stop practicing when he wanted to date her. To this Shireen ended up bribing him through practices with make out sessions and offers of staying with him in his dorm longer.

The rest of Rickon’s hockey team also took a step away. While Rickon half-expected them to continue being terrible to Shireen, one particularly sharp comment from Shireen stopped them entirely. Rickon was ecstatic about it, keeping up practices with both her and his team. He even managed to get his grades up and make it so he didn’t need an issued tutor from his college. Shireen was particularly happy about this, staying up with him in his dorm late after practice.

Rickon was curled up around her, playing with her hair as she finished a reading. It was snowing now, and Rickon used that and every excuse possible to keep her close. With a sigh, Shireen put her textbook away, tucking it back down.

“Can you spend the night today?” Rickon asked, pulling her hair together and making her turn toward him.

Shireen smiled, leaning down to give him a kiss. “I suppose I could,” she said slowly. “But I will need plenty of sleep today, as will you.”

“Ah.” Rickon stretched out on his bed, inviting Shireen into the space beside him. She went slowly, and he brushed her hair back. “Is it finally time for you to try out with those figure skaters?”

“Yeah,” Shireen said, smiling. She leaned onto his chest, placing a hand over his. “Although… I’ve been thinking about it…”

“Oh?” Rickon asked. He twisted their hands around until their fingers were laced together. Then he brought their joined hands to his mouth to kiss her fingers. “Have you finally realized that I’m the worst partner?”

Laughing Shireen shook her head. “Not _that_ , but it does involve you,” she said. Shireen waited for a response, but Rickon looked concerned, so she went on. “Isn’t… won’t your team get mad if they find out what you’ve been doing?”

Rickon shrugged. “I’ll tell them it’s good cross-training,” he said. “It really is. I have the fewest falls so far.”

“But… because it’s feminine or whatever,” Shireen pointed out.

“Yeah,” Rickon snorted. “It’s super feminine to use an opportunity to put my hands all over a beautiful girl and carry her around. Tell me more.”

“I’m being serious,” Shireen said, aiming a weak swat at his chest.

“Me, too,” Rickon said. He propped himself up slightly, brushing her cheeks. “I just want you to be happy, and I know that you really want this. So I’m helping however I can. I really don’t mind.”

Shireen was silent for a moment, staring down at the space between them. “What if… _I_ don’t want to?”

Falling back to the pillows, Rickon traced a line down her neck and up to her shoulder. “Then, you don’t have to,” he said simply. “But I’m still going to ask why.”

Stretching forward, Shireen pressed their lips together. She kissed Rickon deeply, rolling her body into his. Rickon held her close, sliding his hand to the dip of her waist and opening his mouth against hers. Humming against his lips, Shireen pulled away, sliding her hands up to his shoulders. She kissed him briefly before hugging him.

“I don’t want another partner,” she mumbled. “I just want to skate with you, whether or not it’s for a routine. Just… I don’t want it to be someone else.”

Rickon grinned, rolling over her and trapping her against the bed. He kissed her down into the pillow, moaning into her mouth and moving his hands over her stomach. Pulling away, Rickon kissed down to her neck before murmuring at the hollow of her throat, “I’m not going to get jealous… but I can definitely live with being the only person ever to do this with you again.”

Shireen gasped as he kissed at her neck, and she weakly lifted a hand to hold him in place. “This as in… skating?” she asked. “Or… _this_?”

“Yes,” Rickon breathed out. He kissed Shireen slowly before moving back to her side. Snuggling up close to her, Rickon tapped an erratic rhythm on her shoulder. “Since our day cleared up for tomorrow… can we do this all day instead?”

Shireen laughed. She brushed her fingers under his chin, coaxing him into another kiss. “I don’t see why not,” she said. “Besides, the whole point was to stay with you.”

“And _that_ ,” Rickon reached over her and flicked off the lights, “was precisely what I tried to tell you before, but _no_ … someone thought it would be better if we kept dancing around each other instead.”

“Oh, shut up,” Shireen said. “You liked it.”

Rickon laughed, searching for her in the darkness and aiming for her hand. He finally succeeded, pulling her in for a hug. “It was okay,” he admitted. They stayed in silence for a long while, just holding onto each other as the night went on. Just before he fell asleep, Rickon opened an eye, trying to look down and said, “Hey, Shir?”

“Hm?” she asked back, digging her nose further into his collarbone.

Digging a hand into her hair, Rickon pulled through it slowly. “Do you want to go skating tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Shireen said. She pressed her lips to his throat, hugging him tight. When she finally released him, Rickon could feel the trace of her smile.


End file.
